Side curtains

Mike, Carlisle is just two weeks away...good luck. Show us what you got when you get there

3/16" .

Rich...when we get there, can you advise if you made it thru Tucumcari ? :-)

Avoid the .096 stuff they have at Lowe's Depot and go to a glass store to get at least .125 thick.  Mine are .125 thick and I consider that to be the minimum.  Bill Drayer installed .250 (1/4") plexiglass and they are significantly stiffer in wind buffeting.

Depending on the thickness used, you'll have to get rubber gasketing material for it. For that, there's McMaster-Carr and they're pretty good, or you can try JC Whitney.

I have even seen actual glass placed in them instead of Perspex. On a Lotus he had just sewn it in. Not sure on flat storage though.

Has anyone else done this or seen similiar - just a thought...

David, here I am on a warm sunny Thursday afternoon in Tucumcari...side curtains down. I've been home for months it seems. I lost my pen.

... a warm wind blew through Tucumcari, but I pushed on, for the hope of glimpsing the glorious steppes of the Fatherland (the People's Republic) was pulling me onward....

I like that Stan, let me talk to my publisher.

Was just in Tucumcari myself on Thursday making my deliveries to the local funeral home.... Green chili cheeseburger at Blake's gave me just enough mojo to make it back through Fort Sumner (home to Billy the Kid) and back to the big city of Roswell.

This Tucumcari discussion is nice, but Mike's only got two weeks to make some side curtains. Sorry Mike.

Watson's BBQ has good food, great Margs Mexican food at the Lizard Lounge too....

Guarantee the forecast and I can put off the windows for awhile.

Yup, right you are Rich....sorry for the thread drift contribution. Those side curtains are not hard to make. Cardboard template first for each side, make them high enough to tuck up into the cloth slot into the roof fabric, cut and fit to do your best at the trailing edge of the windshield frame ( check first that the door can open and close freely). I pirated my door sill pins from the existing and poorly working side curtains that came with the car. Ask your glass supplier for tips on drilling the glass.

... anything to avoid discussion of the "place we shall not mention".

"The place we shall not mention" = my writing desk?

There are old side curtains that were split in the middle on the diagonal and the panels slid open.  Those would be cool if you could make them.  They allow fresh air in and allow the driver to get left arm out like for hand turn signal or ATM machine or paying tolls without opening the driver's side door.  If you make them, I'll buy them. - Dave Bayne

Everyone needs to be aware that these cars are low-volume and not only do they differ from maker to maker, but each individual car may differ even from the same maker.  Heck, when I had my original top on my car, the windows differed from side to side.  I've since fixed that, but it's an illustration of the variability of low-volume, hand-made cars.  You can't make a side window set that will reliably fit on any car other than the one used as a template.  If it was that easy I would have gone into production a couple of years ago.

Mike,

Do some searches on this forum for suggestions.  Did your car come with any of the parts needed for the side curtains?  Most of my poarts came with the kit from CMC.  I'm not sure what the material is that I used for my side curtains but they are about 3/16" thick.  Somewhere on this forum are details on where to buy the ferrules (sp?) that go into the holes on the tops of the doors (believe electrical department in Home Depot?).  Also details are on here for making the prongs that attach to the bottom of the curtain and go into the holes.  I recently attached a strip of 3/4" x 1/16" aluminum (Home Depot) across the bottom that holds the rubber trim in place and stiffens the window.  You'll also see on mine a circular airplane vent that opens/closes/rotates to allow fresh air, etc, maybe someone on here remembers the contact for those. 

Rain in Carlisle?...nah, not this year. 

The vents can be bought from Wick's Aircraft Supply.

Be careful on the diamater.  The first set that Carey ordered for mine had a weird diameter and the only hole saw he could find was over $300.  Needless to say, he ordered another set in a more friendly hole size.

...that's what SHE said!

Bruce, those look good. I have all the attaching hardware from CMC but I couldn't find the window panels as I remember they still had protective paper on them and there was also some rubber trim. Things stashed away fro 20 years and several moves but I did find the original toneau cover.

Just got my speedster yesterday, and made these side windows for it (All from home depot - $80.00 total cost). Almost complete.

Ok 356Coup.....care to share a little about how you made those cause they look great.  I have an original side-curtain for the drivers side I bought on eBay but obviously need a second and would rather have a matching pair like something you have there.  Great work!

356 coupe..................erm, those thongs on your garage wall?

Frank - I'll post a thread on some instructions.

FlatFourFan - Why yes they are. 3 of em.

There's a lot of history in that garage; since it's a bar/pub, too.

The other wall is end-to-end pictures of parties, etc, ...

The speedster too the place of the pool table.

Dude, that deserves 3 well-deserved Gold Stars for your Man Card!! 

Haha! Here's the PUB for a full view.